In this Issue of Mentor Local Buzz 🐝

☔ Weather: Breezy, Humid, Rain - Temps 71-73

 📢 Local Events from Mentor & the Area: MentorLocalBuzz.com/Events!

 📰 Local News: 🍷 Wines, Bites, & Summer Vibes Await at Vintage Ohio Aug. 1–2

🎓 Lake County Launches New Police Academy at Lakeland Community College

 🚎 Free Rides in August as Laketran Adds University Circle Commuter Route

 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The Pet Corner: 🚨 Ohio AG Sues Former Dog Charity Director for Allegedly Misusing $25K in Donations

 🐶 Young Readers Invited to Read Aloud to Therapy Dogs at Eastlake Library

⚾ Sports: ⚾ Fry Powers Guardians Past Rockies with Early Homer in 5-0 Win

⚾ Captains Down Timber Rattlers 3-1 Behind Hartle’s Strong Start

 🤔 Trivia Question

 🤣 Something Funny

Contact Mentor Local Buzz - [email protected] - 440-256-6115

👉 Events in Mentor & the Area! Visit
MentorLocalBuzz.com/Events
Featured Event for Jul 31

See All the Events
MentorLocalBuzz.com/Events

 🍷 Wines, Bites, and Summer Vibes Await at Vintage Ohio Aug. 1–2

Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the Vintage Ohio Wine Festival returns August 1 and 2 to Lake Metroparks Farmpark in Kirtland. Spanning 235 scenic acres, the event runs from noon to 9 p.m. both days and features a mix of Ohio wines, food, and live music.

Once named a top national wine and food event, Vintage Ohio will host 13 wineries, including D&D Meadery from Mentor, known for honey-based meads. Other participating wineries hail from Geneva, Madison, Wooster, and beyond, offering award-winning selections throughout the grounds.

Food vendors will serve a range of fare, from wood-fired pizzas and gourmet grilled cheese to bourbon chicken, pork belly burnt ends, and Greek loukoumades. Quirky extras like hula hoop lessons and cooking demos add to the festival’s charm.

Three music stages will offer jazz, acoustic, and rock performances all day. For an upscale experience, the $75 VIP Sampler ticket includes exclusive wine tastings, hors d’oeuvres, shaded seating, and relaxing music from 2 to 6 p.m.

Attendees are encouraged to plan ahead by visiting the festival website. Seasoned guests suggest starting with a food-and-wine pairing strategy, then relaxing with friends at a shady picnic spot near a stage.

Tickets range from $4 to $75. One-day samplers are $39, non-drinkers pay $15, and group discounts apply for 10 or more. Limited VIP tickets will be available at the gate.

With award-winning wines, regional cuisine, and live entertainment, Vintage Ohio offers a festive way to savor summer in a scenic farm setting.

Read More visitvintageohio.com

🎓 Lake County Launches New Police Academy at Lakeland Community College

Lake County is launching a new police academy at Lakeland Community College on September 18, aiming to offer accessible, locally focused training for future law enforcement officers.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office will operate the program in partnership with Lakeland, taking over from the college’s previous academy, which faced staffing challenges. The new Basic Police Academy will feature a curriculum tailored to the county's needs, with instructors drawn from local police departments.

Chief Deputy Bob Izzo will serve as academy commander, with Deputy Don Ticel as coordinator. Tuition is approximately $5,500, covering uniforms, weapons training, and instruction. Lakeland will handle registration, scholarships, and financial aid to support accessibility.

To reduce costs, local departments may receive tuition discounts for contributing on-duty officers as instructors. Previously, most Lake County recruits trained at out-of-county academies such as Kent State or Tri-C.

By keeping training local, officials aim to lower costs, retain talent, and better prepare officers to serve their communities. County leaders praised the collaboration between the sheriff’s office and educational partners.

Applications for the inaugural class are open through August 20. Details are available on Lakeland’s website.

Learn More: cleveland.com

🚎 Free Rides in August as Laketran Adds University Circle Commuter Route

Laketran is expanding its Park-n-Ride commuter service to connect Lake County residents with Cleveland’s University Circle, a major hub for healthcare, education, and cultural attractions.

Starting Monday, August 4, the new Route 13 will provide weekday service with four daily departures from Park-n-Ride lots in Painesville Township, Mentor, and Wickliffe. The route is designed to give commuters more direct access to jobs and institutions in one of Northeast Ohio’s fastest-growing employment centers.

Rather than adding costs, Laketran is reallocating existing resources by consolidating select runs from its underused downtown Cleveland routes. Routes 10 and 12 were adjusted to accommodate the new Route 13, while Routes 10, 11, and 12 will continue to serve downtown commuters.

The expansion responds to rider surveys and public feedback, particularly from healthcare workers, who make up a significant portion of University Circle’s workforce. Employment in the district’s healthcare sector has grown 37% since 2012, now representing over a fifth of Cleveland’s total healthcare employment.

To encourage ridership, Laketran will offer free fares on all Park-n-Ride routes during August, including Route 13. Regular fares resume in September at $3.75 per trip, with discounted rates of $1.50 for seniors, students, veterans, and individuals with disabilities.

Transit officials and community leaders see the new route as a strategic investment in regional accessibility and workforce support, especially for those unable to work remotely. More information and schedules are available at www.laketran.com.

🚨 Ohio AG Sues Former Dog Charity Director for Allegedly Misusing $25K in Donations

The former head of a Findlay-based nonprofit is facing legal action from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, which alleges widespread misuse of charitable funds meant to support service dog programs.

A lawsuit filed in Franklin County Common Pleas Court targets Pawsible Angels Inc., a now-closed organization that once trained and provided service dogs to those in need, along with its former executive director, Michele Frank. According to state investigators, Frank is accused of diverting over $25,000 in donations for personal use.

The complaint outlines expenditures including rent and utility payments for Frank’s home, personal debts, medical bills, restaurant meals, and even private piano lessons and dating services. These actions, the state alleges, amount to a severe breach of public trust.

The suit also claims Frank failed to provide financial transparency to the nonprofit’s board and continued to act on behalf of the organization after stepping down from her leadership role.

In addition to seeking restitution, the Attorney General's Office is pursuing civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation. The state is also asking the court to permanently bar Frank from holding any future board position in an Ohio charity.

Read more: spectrumnews1.com

🐶 Young Readers Invited to Read Aloud to Therapy Dogs at Eastlake Library

Sit, Stay, READ! — Kids Practice Reading with Therapy Dogs

Children in grades K–5 are invited to build their reading confidence by reading aloud to a friendly therapy dog during the Sit, Stay, READ! program at the Eastlake Public Library. This in-person event creates a welcoming environment for young readers to improve their literacy skills with the help of a patient, nonjudgmental canine companion.

Sessions are limited in space, and advance registration is required. Please register each child reader individually for every date they plan to attend.

• Date: Saturday, August 9, 2025

• Time: 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM (ET)

• Location: Eastlake Storyroom, Lake Superior Meeting Room

• Hosted by: Eastlake Public Library

• Audience: School-aged children (Grades K–5)

See more information here

⚾ Fry Powers Guardians Past Rockies with Early Homer in 5-0 Win

David Fry’s two-run homer and a strong outing from Kolby Allard powered the Cleveland Guardians to a 5-0 win over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night, securing a series victory.

Fry’s first-inning homer followed a double by José Ramírez, who moved into seventh on Cleveland’s all-time hit list. Allard, making just his second start of the season, retired nine straight batters, striking out five over 3 1/3 innings while allowing only one hit and no walks.

Jakob Junis earned the win with two scoreless innings, and Nic Enright, Hunter Gaddis, and Cade Smith each added a clean frame to complete the three-hit shutout.

Cleveland extended its lead in the fourth with Brayan Rocchio’s sacrifice fly. In the eighth, Steven Kwan extended his hitting streak to eight games and scored on a single by Kyle Manzardo. Carlos Santana added an RBI double to right.

Colorado starter Kyle Freeland (2-11) gave up two runs over three innings. Reliever Juan Mejia struck out four across three scoreless innings.

The Guardians improved to 44-12 when scoring four or more runs this season.

Both teams have Thursday off. The Rockies open a series in Pittsburgh, while Cleveland hosts the Twins, with Gavin Williams (6-4, 3.51 ERA) scheduled to pitch.

Read More & See Highlights at mlb.com

⚾ Captains Down Timber Rattlers 3-1 Behind Hartle’s Strong Start

The Lake County Captains claimed a 3-1 victory over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers last night, led by a dominant performance from starting pitcher Josh Hartle.

Hartle improved to 8-2 on the season, tossing six scoreless innings while allowing just two hits, one walk, and striking out three. His efficient outing lowered his ERA to 2.75. Jack Jasiak closed the game, pitching the final two innings to earn his 12th save, despite allowing one run on three hits and four walks.

The Captains broke through in the fourth inning when Alfonsin Rosario scored on a groundout by Jose Devers, giving Lake County a 1-0 lead. In the fifth, Christian Knapczyk delivered a clutch two-run double to center field, driving in Johnny Tincher and Esteban González to extend the lead to 3-0.

Wisconsin’s only run came in the bottom of the eighth when Daniel Guilarte scored on a bases-loaded walk to Blake Burke, cutting the deficit to 3-1. Jasiak regrouped to secure the final outs, sealing the Captains' win.

See the box score and more at milb.com

Source: Google

🤣 Something Funny 🤣

I know these scary movies — its a love / hate relationship.